Early Sunday morning, a United States Marine was stabbed fatally in a late-night altercation in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Marine, identified now as Lance Corporal Daniel Montano, age 21, was stationed at Camp Lejeune.
A U.S. Marine was stabbed to death during a chaotic downtown brawl in North Carolina early Sunday, and police released surveillance images showing the person of interest sought in connection to the fatal incident.
Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano, 21, was one of two men stabbed during the incident in Downtown Wilmington and later died from his injuries, according to the Wilmington Police Department and his family.
Officers responded at around 2 a.m. to reports of multiple fights in the 100 block of North Front Street in Wilmington, police said. The area, which is about 70 miles from Camp Lejeune, is a popular destination for Marines stationed at the East Coast’s largest Marine Corps base.
Video of the police response that has been circulating online shows officers deploying pepper spray before they encounter Montano, who was standing, bent over and bleeding heavily on a sidewalk.
As of this writing, no information has been released as to who started the altercation or what it was all about. There are reports of multiple brawls, with several people injured.
The Wilmington police have released several photos of a "person of interest" in the case.
This is a "person of interest" in the murder of USMC Lance Corporal Daniel Montano. pic.twitter.com/LWE2xHbROZ
— Ward Clark (@TheGreatLander) April 9, 2026
Note: This person is not described as a suspect.
Lance Corporal Montano was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division at Camp LeJeune. Camp LeJeune is roughly 70 miles from Wilmington, and is reportedly a popular weekend destination for Marines from Camp LeJeune.
Lance Corporal Montano's family describes him with fondness and praise:
His relatives described him as a devoted Marine and a source of light in their lives.
"Daniel proudly served as a United States Marine, assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines Regiment at Camp Lejeune. He was not only dedicated to his country, but also deeply loved by his family. To us, he was more than a Marine — he was a son, a brother, and someone who brought so much light into our lives," his family wrote on a GoFundMe page created to help cover funeral expenses.
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A local media outlet also reports there were several people stabbed in the incident.
Wilmington police said they were called to a large fight that left two men with stab wounds, and then got word of another unrelated fight just a couple minutes after.
Both men involved in the first fight were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. One of them, 21-year-old Daniel Montano, did not survive. Sister-station WITN reported Montano served in the U.S. Marines and was stationed at Camp Lejeune.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned; we will bring you updates as events warrant.
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